Medical applicators



14, 1967 A. w. H. BLOXHAM I MEDICAL APPLICATORS Filed June 8, 1964IMVENTOE Ate/v4; L W H 5L oxmm ATTOEM EV.

Patented Nov. 14, 1967 3,352,307 MEDICAL APPLICATORS Arnall IrvingWilliam Henry Bloxham, Willsden House, Rhiwbina Hill, (lardiif, EnglandFiled June 8, 1964-, Ser. No. 373,297 6 Claims. (Cl. 128-269) Thisinvention relates to a device for applying a disinfectant or anymedicament to relatively inaccessible parts of the body. The inventionis concerned particularly with an applicator designed for use incleaning or treating the sinus cavities.

The problems involved in designing such an applicator are considerablein view of the complex sinuous nature of the nasal and sinus canals andthe need to wipe the internal surfaces of the bone cavities with theswab, but without damaging the adjacent delicate tissues and membranes.Moreover it is important that no foreign bodies should be left in thecavities when the applicator is withdrawn.

The invention consists broadly in an applicator comprising a flexibleresilient strip having a natural curvature, in that it has or is capableof being preset to a curvature to which it returns after being flexed,and which is provided at one end with an absorbent swab or formed withmeans to retain a swab in position.

Preferably the end of the strip is formed with barblike reversed teethto prevent the swab becoming freed from the strip.

According to one preferred feature of the invention the strip isflat-sided and has substantially greater width than thickness.

For added safety, and in case the end of the strip might break off inuse, the strip is preferably formed with an internal reinforcing membersuch as a nylon thread.

The strip is conveniently formed of a synthetic plastics material suchas polythene, polyvinylchloride, or polystyrene, affording a smoothsurface which can be cleaned easily, and which will facilitate insertioninto the cavities. It may also be of any synthetic plastic material orother substance of 'burred or absorbent form, or formed with a suitableretaining end piece; it may be disposable or reusable.

According to another preferred features of the invention the strip isrelatively flexible in the plane of its natural curvature, andrelatively stiff in a direction perpendicular thereto.

The inevntion will now be further described with reference to theaccompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, an applicatorforming one specific embodiment. In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of the embodiment when lying freely on aflat surface,

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view on the line IIII in FIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 3 is a view of an end portion of the embodiment.

In this example the applicator comprises a strip 1 of materialapproximately 6 inches long, 0.1 inch wide and 0.025 inch in thickness.The strip 1 consists of an outer layer 2 of a smooth-surfaced syntheticplastics material, such as polystyrene, moulded around an internalthread or tape 3 formed of nylon thread or fibre. The strip 1 has anatural curvature such that in its relaxed condition the radius ofcurvature is approximately 2 inches.

Thus if allowed to take up a free position on a flat surface it will, asshown in FIGURE 1, form a roughly semi-circular hoop with a thin edge ofthe strip in contact with the surface. The strip 1 is relativelyflexible in the plane of its natural curvature, i.e. a plane parallel tothe said surface on which it rests, and relatively stifi, in the senseof being resistant to flexing in directions perpendicular thereto, andthis is an important feature in the design of the applicator since itpermits the applicator to flex readily so as to pass through the sinuousnasal passages, and then by turning the applicator as required it can bemade to press a swab 4 as required against the bone surfaces.

At each end of the strip 1 there are formed barb-like teeth such as 5provided by small knife cuts such as 6 (see particularly FIGURE 3) inthe two thin edges of the strip inclined rearwardly towards the centreof the strip. The barbed teeth 5 are designed to assist in providing agrip on a cotton wool or other absorbent material forming the swab 4 andwrapped around the end of the strip 1, and to prevent the swab 4becoming detached in use.

The strip 1 is provided with the barbed teeth 5 at each end so thateither end can be used, thus providing a double-ended applicator.

Depending upon the patients condition different antiseptics or medicinalfluids may be used and applied by the swab 4 but for general purposes itis preferred to use a medicament in liquid form having both disinfectantand curative properties.

I claim:

1. An applicator for cleaning or treating sinus cavities, comprising aflexible resilient strip having a natural curvature and provided over anend section of the strip with angled incisions providing barb-likereverse teeth which do not project beyond the width of the strip, and aswab wrapped around said end section and retained thereon by said teeth.

2. An applicator for cleaning or treating sinus cavities, comprising aflat-sided flexible resilient strip having a natural curvature to whichit tends to return after having flexed, the strip being of substantiallygreater width than thickness so that it is relatively flexible in theplane of said natural curvature and relatively stiff in a direction perpendicular thereto, and a swab on an end section of the strip, said endsection of the strip being formed with means to retain the swab inposition.

3. An applicator according to claim 2, wherein the end section of thestrip has barb-like reverse teeth which form said retaining means andlie entirely within the Width and thickness of the strip.

4. An applicator as claimed in claim 2, in which the strip is formed ofa synthetic plastics material.

5. An applicator as claimed in claim 4, in which the strip has aninternal reinforcing member such as a nylon thread runninglongitudinally through the strip.

6. An applicator for cleaning or treating sinus cavities, comprising aflat-sided resilient strip having a natural curvature at right angles tothe width of the strip which is substantially greater than the thicknessthereof, so that the strip is relatively flexible in a plane containingthe curvature and relatively stiff in a direction perpendicular thereto,the side edges of an end section of the strip being formed with angledincisions to provide barb-like reverse teeth lying within the width andthickness of the strip and which are adapted to retain a swab coveringsaid end section.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,221,138 11/1940 Hendrickson128-341 2,842,682 7/ 1958 Castelli 128269 3,103,682 9/1963 Markle l5224ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner.

6. AN APPLICATOR FOR CLEANING OR TREATING SINUS CAVITIES, COMPRISING ATFLAT-SIDED RESILIENT STRIP HAVING A NATURAL CURVATURE AT RIGHT ANGLES TOTHE WIDTH OF THE STRIP WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THE THICKNESSTHEREOF, SO THAT THE STRIP IS RELATIVELY FLEXIBLE IN A PLANE CONTAININGTHE CURVATURE AND RELATIVELY STIFF IN A DIRECTION PERPENDICULAR THERETO,THE SIDE EDGES OF AN END SECTION OF THE STRIP BEING FORMED WITH ANGLEDINCISIONS TO PROVIDE BARB-LIKE REVERSE TEETH LYING WITHIN THE WIDTH ANDTHICKNESS OF THE STRIP AND WHICH ARE ADAPTED TO RETAIN A SWAB COVERINGSAID END SECTION.